Wii U FIFA 13 is best-looking version claims first preview

EA has released the first details and screenshots of the Wii U version of FIFA 13, with the game featuring touchscreen passing and what’s claimed to better graphics than the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

FIFA 13 – has football found a new home?

The Wii U version of FIFA 13 looks like it could be one of the console’s big surprises this year, with the game looking unusually impressive for a launch window title and making some imaginative use of the GamePad touchscreen. The Official Nintendo Magazine are the ones making the claim about the graphics being better than the current home consoles, so you may want to take that with a pinch of salt. The screenshots you see here though are from fansite FIFPlay , which are impressive not just for the visuals but for the varied use they seem to make of the touchscreen.

One of the more basic uses for the GamePad will be to switch between defenders simply by tapping on them, or to man mark or tackle an attacking player by selecting them directly. There’ll also be touchscreen passing, making long balls easier than in other versions of the game.There’s even touchscreen shooting, with the option to shake the controller or press L3 and then use a touchscreen view of the goal to pick a specific spot for a shot. This is adapted further for free kicks and penalties, where the touchscreen view switches to an over-the-shoulder perspective.As far as we understand though these are just options and you can use normal buttons if you prefer.

FIFA 13 – stats at your fingertips

The other main use for the touchscreen is the ‘Manager Hub’, which fills the display with all manner of stats and strategy options. Since everything is touch control you can select a player and see more detailed stats or choose a new formation or pre-designed set piece just by pressing it.FIFA 13 is set to be released on every format known to man this year, with most of them due out on September 28. It’s extremely unlikely that the Wii U will be out at that point though, with most rumours pointing towards a November or even early December launch. Whether FIFA 13 would be out the same date or not remains to be seen…